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Photo: Colin W, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
The earthen burial mound has a diameter of over 100 metres, and was once 12 metres high. It's not much to look at from the outside, but inside is a museum with four tombs in situ, the grave goods found there, and reconstructions of what the complex once looked like.
The Museum of the Royal Tombs of Aigai (Vergina) is located 75 km west of Thessaloniki, Greece, centered around the royal tombs built by the ancient Kingdom of Macedon at Aigai. The underground museum containing the burial cluster of Philip II of Macedon began construction in 1993 and was inaugurated in 1997. Exhibits are presented in four connected areas, including the Palace, the royal burial cluster of the Temenid dynasty (burial cluster "C"), the burial cluster of Philip II, and a gateway entrance with a semi-open-air exhibition of the sculptures found in the city sanctuaries and the restored upper floor of the Palace of Philip's facade. The tombs and other archaeological sites of Aigai were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996 because of its exceptional architecture and testimony to the transition between city-states and empires in European civilization.
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The place where Philip II was murdered during October 336 BC. The court had gathered there for the celebration of the marriage between Alexander I of Epirus and Philip's daughter, Cleopatra. While the king was entering unprotected into the theater, he was killed by Pausanias of Orestis, one of his seven bodyguards. The murdered tried to escape but was pursued and killed by three of Philip's bodyguards. The orchestra has a diameter of 28.40m. At its center stands the altar of Dionysus.
Greek: Anaktoro
Constructed during the reign of Philip II (359-336 π.Χ.), the royal palace was probably designed by architect Pytheos, known for his contribution to the construction of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. The complex was sumptuously decorated with mosaics, marble sculptures and other luxurious materials. Row of columns once surrounding the palace can still be seen.
The main museum features sculptures, ceramics and artefacts excavated from the city, with exhibits on Alexander the Great and the royal palace. Exhibits have room-level descriptions in dense English. Allow 40 to 60 minutes to explore the main exhibits.